WESTROCK COFFEE COMPANY, a vertically-integrated coffee supply and service provider, announced today that it is expanding its ability to deliver premium, direct-trade coffees through ethical supply chains by making a majority investment in Falcon Coffees Ltd, of Lewes, England. The Falcon management team has more than 20 years of on the ground experience in the international coffee industry and will stay on as the minority owners. Falcon helped pioneer transparent, traceable and collaborative coffee supply chains linking smallholder farmers to the end user.

Over 30 million smallholder farmers produce more than half the world’s coffee in many of the world’s poorest countries. Coffee, as an industry, is uniquely positioned to be a catalyst for measurable financial, social and environmental impact on a global scale. Westrock’s partnership with Falcon began with a shared business philosophy that sustainable commercial activity throughout an efficient and collaborative coffee supply chain is essential to successful and scalable impact in the lives of smallholder farmers, their families and communities.

Beyond the direct purchasing of coffee from smallholder farmers, Westrock and Falcon provide an array of services including agronomy training, working capital financing, price risk management and school fee loans for farmers’ children. The partnership will make possible the expansion of both company’s shared service model, as well as the opportunity to better measure the impact on a larger scale.

“The combination of Falcon’s impact, along with what we’re working toward in Rwanda and Tanzania will expand our ability to build transparent, dynamic relationships with smallholder farmers,” said Todd Brogdon, Chief Executive Officer of Westrock Coffee. “We want to promote and share these relationships, as well as the related impact at origin, with our customers and, in the end, their customers.”

“We believe that transparent trade, not aid, is the keystone to long-term sustainability,” said Konrad Brits, Chief Executive Officer of Falcon. “Improved social and environmental standards can only be motivated and maintained through commercial success. Our partnership with Westrock Coffee now allows us a stronger foundation from which to operate and expand into new markets for increased success for all those in our supply chain.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to expand our relationships with origin partners in Central America, South America and Africa, including Nicaragua, Peru, Uganda, Ethiopia and DR Congo. Our partnership with Falcon provides a broader and deeper reach into coffees from a multitude of origins, thus expanding the selection of ethically-purchased, premium coffees for our customers,” Brogdon said.

About the companies:

Westrock Coffee Company is a vertically-integrated coffee supply and service provider. The company began in 2009 with the revitalization of a neglected coffee mill in Rwanda. Westrock Coffee operates a coffee roasting and packaging facility in Arkansas, trading desks in Europe and origin export facilities in Rwanda and Tanzania. For additional information about Westrock Coffee Company, visit westrockcoffee.com.